6 Reasons We Won’t Miss Joe Lieberman

And we’re done! After 24 years, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman “retired” (read: was well aware he could not win a re-election bid) from Congress this month. While it probably won’t be the last time we hear from the erstwhile Democrat and never quite liberal politician, it is comforting to know he can’t wreak havoc in the Senate anymore.

A lot of liberals dislike Lieberman because they view him as a turncoat to the Democratic Party. (Technically, he turned “Independent” after losing his Democratic primary in 2006.) That’s not our problem — we can generally appreciate a politician who doesn’t merely tow the party line and dares to think independently. However, it’s the fact that those non-conformist beliefs are so awful and counter-productive that has us saying, “Good riddance!” Here are six reasons – which we’ve restricted to his last term (but he also basically invented the Department of Homeland Security) – that we won’t miss Joe Lieberman:

Just three months after publicly championing a Medicare buy-in on the proposed health care legislation in 2009, when it came time to be the crucial filibuster-blocking 60th vote in the Senate, Lieberman suddenly had major objections to the provisions – the same ones he was previously so excited about. Extra negotiations and concessions needed to be made just to get Lieberman back onboard.

3. He Extended the Bush Tax Cuts

You think a good way to counter the budget deficit is to tax millionaires their fair share? That’s not how Lieberman sees it. He said that the 1% needed to have that extra money to stimulate the economy and almost singlehandedly shut down the conversation on doing anything but renewing the Bush tax cuts.

4. He Wants to Take Away People’s American Citizenship

Lieberman wants you to know that he’s tough on terrorism. (How tough is he?) Well, he’s so tough that in 2010 he suggested depriving people of their citizenship if they are suspected of terrorism. To be clear, that’s not if they are convicted of terrorism, that is if they are merely suspected of terrorism. (That might be problematic if our government suspected even peaceful political dissenters of being terrorists… oh, wait.) If the NDAA is an outrage for permitting citizens to be indefinitely detained, just imagine what the government could do with newly non-citizens.

5. He Didn’t Support Contraceptives for Rape Victims

Should hospitals offer morning after pills to victims of rape to ensure that they don’t get pregnant? Not if the hospital doesn’t want to, argued Joe. After all, an institution’s moral objections are definitely more important a woman’s right to not go through the process of having an abortion or carrying her rapist’s child to term.

6. He Is Ultimately an Attention Seeker

A good politician serves the interests of his constituents – not to further his own publicity. Rather than using his status as a swing vote to make well-informed decisions, Lieberman relished in the opportunity to bask in the spotlight. As a New York Times profile reads, “[Lieberman] is at the center of everything – and he loves it. ‘My wife said to me, ‘Why do you always end up being the point person here?’’ he said, flashing a broad grin.” Like his near-Vice Presidential run with John McCain, it all comes across as self-promotion more than anything.

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And how many of his relatives served in Iraq? Better yet, did he serve himself? When you promote a war, you should be the first in line to enlist.
I wish none of his female relatives the horror of being raped and denied the morning after pill.
Taking away someone's citizenship on a mere suspicion is closing in on Nazi Germany practices.
Standing with the 1% will get him a new well-payed job. As if he needs it with his fat politician pension!
Behaving like a five year old when decision time comes up, only enforces people's views of him as an attention seeker.
Hope he's replaced by a true person, dedicated to work for the people and not for corporations!

He is a wicked person who has worked stealthily to further the agendas of Zionists, arms manufacturers, Bankers and corporates. He is responsible together with the Bushes, Blairs, Chennies etc for killings of close to a Million human beings as well as thousand plus US personnel and Billions spent in their mis adventures.

These chaps need to be dealt with severely as possible NOT just let them retire.... the killings should not go unpunished

Lieberman's retirement was forced upon him. He lost his identity. A Democratic Vice Presidential candidate who become a Republican. A smaller slightly less loyal lap dog for John McCain than Lindsay Graham whose tail wags whenever McCain enters a room.